


Christmas Eve Dates

by SpiralStorm



Category: Persona 3, Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Christmas Eve, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multiple Pairings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-18 03:15:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13091259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiralStorm/pseuds/SpiralStorm
Summary: This is a series of Christmas Eve Dates all taking place in the city of Tokyo, Japan.Each chapter is part of an an individual story of a couple's date.Written for friends. Hope you enjoy!





	1. The Morning of Christmas Eve

**Author's Note:**

> This is an introduction where the characters all meet up in Shibuya Station Square for their dates to arrive. The actual individual stories will come after this chapter.

The morning Tokyo breeze in Shibuya Square sends chills down Ryuji and Ann's spines as they await for their partners to arrive at the designated meeting spot. Ryuji folds his arms, tapping his foot while Ann continually peeks at her cellphone for the time and any sort of messages to pop up.

"Man, what's taking them so long?" Ryuji asks.

"Probably got stuck in a large crowd," Ann replies. "Tokyo's a busy city, especially on Christmas Eve."

"I know that..." Ryuji sighs. "You think we got here too early?"

Ann smiles. "You can never be too early, you know?"

"Well, yeah! But you can totally be too late!"

"Just wait, it's not like them to let us down."

"Yeah, I get it... I'm just tired of waiting in the cold..." Ryuji sits on the ground, sighing. "At least it beats waiting in the heat. I think I'd die out here if that happened..."

"Sorry we're late!" a feminine voice rings out.

Ryuji and Ann peers out into the distance and sees Akira and Makoto running towards them. When they approached them, they both pant.

"Hey! You guys made it!" Ann exclaims.

"What took ya guys so long?" Ryuji asks.

"Uh..." Makoto sighs. "Sis wanted to help me put on make-up for today's date, so she took her time with it..."

"For real!?" Ryuji's eyes widen. "Then why was Akira late?"

"Uh..." Akira chuckles nervously. "About that..." Akira's bag shuffles and out pop's Morgana's head.

"Thought you could leave without me, huh?" Morgana says.

"What!? You brought him along too!?" Ryuji stands up.

"Got a problem with that?"

"Uh, yeah! This is supposed to be our da-" Ryuji cuts himself off. "I-I mean... T-This is supposed to be our uh... h-hang out day! Yeah! No cats allowed!"

"What was that!?"

"H-Hey, calm down you two..." Akira interjects. "Morgana is here because he wanted to make sure our date went off without a hitch."

"Dude, don't call it that out loud..." Ryuji sighs while slouching.

Makoto giggles. "So Ann, are you ready for our date?"

Ann nods. "You bet!"

"You two sure have no shame in calling it that, do you?" Ryuji asks.

"Why should we be ashamed of our love for one another?" Makoto asks in return.

"It's not that! It's just... You know! Other people could be watching!"

"We don't really care if others are watching," Ann replies. "Our date, our business, not theirs."

"You should listen to lady Ann," Morgana says. "If you truly love someone, you wouldn't care what others think."

"Don't give me any lip, cat!" Ryuji exclaims.

Ryuji and Morgana begin bickering as Akira watches on while shaking his head and sighing. Meanwhile, Makoto and Ann give each other a look and a nod before walking off together hand-in-hand.

Akira thinks to himself, this is going to be a memorable Christmas Eve date, whether it's for the right reasons or the wrong reasons. Not that it matters to him, as all he cares about is spending time with the one he chooses.

"Say, how about we all get to the arcade?" Akira speaks up. "They're doing a discount today, aren't they?"

"The arcade?" Ryuji asks. "Man, we can do the arcade any day. How about we go somewhere different, like someplace we don't usually hang out at?"

"Oh! If you ask me, Destinyland is the perfect place to go!" Morgana says. "You two don't go there often, it's lots of fun, and you won't stand out because of all the families and friends that are stopping by today!"

"Huh... You know, that's not a bad idea. Good going, Morgana!" Ryuji pats Morgana's head.

"Heh heh, leave it to me to come up with the perfect date spots!"

"Shall we get going?" Akira asks the two of them.

Both of them nod as they walk back to the station.

Meawhile, as the boys enter the train station, they pass by three people, an auburn-haired girl with her hair down, a blue-haired woman in a formal outfit, and a blonde boy whose sparkles make him stand out among the crowd.

* * * * *

"Woo-hoo! We made it to Tokyo!!" Teddie exclaims while twirling around.

Rise giggles. "Teddie sure is excited to meet his date, huh?"

"Indeed," Naoto nods. She turns to Rise. "Aren't you concerned that people will recognize you?"

"It shouldn't be much of a problem if I have these on," Rise adjusts her sunglasses with one hand. "Good thing Teddie knows how to make a good pair, huh?"

Naoto chuckles softly. "Teddie-san is an irreplaceable friend."

"Okay, now where is she?" Teddie scans the area for the girl that he told Rise and Naoto about. "Do you ladies happen to spy a beautiful girl with luscious hair and a drop-dead gorgeous outfit?" he asks the girls.

"Well, there's one right next to me," Rise says, turning to Naoto.

Naoto blushes. "O, oh... Um, I don't believe that's what Teddie-san meant by that..."

"I know, I was only teasing you." Rise giggles.

"R-Right... I-I knew that..."

"Oh! Is that her over there?" Teddie gazes ahead to see an auburn-haired girl with a high ponytail tied. "Hey Mina-chaaaaaaan!! Over here!!" he yells and waves at her.

The girl takes notices and runs over to the trio. She approaches them with a soft smile.

"Hi Teddie-kun! Good to see you!" she greets him with a hug.

Teddie embraces her back and gives her a peck on the cheek, causing her to blush. Rise and Naoto's eyes widen and blink.

"No way..." Rise says to herself. "That's Teddie's date?"

The girl lets go of Teddie and waves her hand at Rise and Naoto. "Hi! You must be Teddie-kun's friends, right?" she asks. "I'm Minako Arisato. Pleased to meet you!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Arisato-san," Naoto responds.

"Yeah, same here," Rise adds. She couldn't believe it. Although it's surprising enough that Teddie managed to find a date today, but a girl that's stunning and beautiful as Minako? While Rise can't help but feel happy that Teddie found someone that he can call his "special someone" as he says, she has a lot of questions about how Teddie met her in the first place, let alone scored a date with her.

Maybe when they go back to Inaba the next day, she can ask him all about this girl. For now, Rise continues smiling.

Minako looks at Teddie. "You ready to head to Destinyland, Teddie-kun?" she asks.

"You betcha!" Teddie nods. "Let us depart to our destiny, dear queen!"

Minako giggles. "Lead the way, my king!"

Teddie grabs Minako's hand and tugs her into the station. Rise and Naoto watch on as the two leave their line of sight.

"Jeez, Teddie sure found himself a beauty, huh?" Rise asks Naoto.

Naoto glances at Rise and smiles. "Teddie-san isn't the only one that found a beauty," she says.

"Oooh, Naoto-kun! Getting better at flattery, are we?" Rise blushes.

"I suppose I'm adapting well," Naoto's cheeks flush with red.

"Yup, you sure are!" Rise nods. She holds Naoto's hand tight. "Come on, let's go shopping already! Shibuya is full of the best clothing brands in Tokyo and I have to see you in call kinds of clothes!"

"A-Ah! Yes, let us depart now," Naoto replies. Rise guides Naoto out of the station square and into the shopping district.

* * * * *

And thus began the Christmas Eve dates of four couples spending their time with their loved ones...


	2. Ann and Makoto's Date: Part 1/2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann and Makoto go on a date on Christmas Eve. This is their story. Part 1 of 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally each fic was going to be one whole part, but I've decided to simply make them two-parters to create breaks and control the pacing. Hope you don't mind!

Makoto and Ann are walking hand-in-hand around Shibuya for their date today. The crowds of people wandering about mixed with the cold breeze of Christmas Eve made it gives them a good excuse to stay close to one another. Makoto can feel Ann's warm breath on her shoulder, causing her to smile.

"It's so nice that we can spend Christmas Eve together like this," Makoto says.

"Same here," Ann says. "A little bit of peace and quiet wouldn't hurt."

Earlier in the week, Makoto suggested to plan the date out carefully so that the day isn't wasted aimlessly wandering about, but Ann reassured her that being together with just her was more than enough. It was better for them to let their hearts decide where to go and not have it planned ahead of time. The day would be far more memorable if they decided to do something unusual on impulse.

"So Makoto..." Ann speaks up. "Is there anything you wanted to try with me today?"

"You're asking me?" Makoto chuckles. "I brought up a whole plan earlier, didn't I?"

"I know, but it's a lot more fun if we were doing stuff we felt like doing in the moment. It's not like we're infiltrating a Palace or anything of the sort."

"A Palace..." Makoto sighs. "That sure takes us back, doesn't it?"

"Sure does! I remember when we first met, you were suspicious of all of us being The Phantom Thieves and what not. Next thing you know, you joined us for a cause."

"And here we are now..." Makoto gazes at their hands locking with one another. She gives a gentle smile before looking up at her surroundings. "A lot can change over a year..."

"Yeah, but I'm glad neither of us became worse for wear."

Makoto and Ann laugh in unison. Walking by the Arcade, Makoto's attention gets caught by the sounds of Gun About echoing from inside the Arcade.

"Hey Ann," Makoto says. "Do you want to play some video games in the Arcade?"

"You play video games?" Ann asks.

"Um... Only Gun About..." Makoto chuckles nervously. "Akira said I got a little too into it when I tried it out..."

"Hey, that's even better! I've always wanted to play video games with another girl!"

"Really?" Makoto blinks. "I'm sure Futaba-chan would be up for it."

"She uh... she doesn't count." Ann smiles wryly. "She's like a next-level gamer. I can't possibly compete with her."

"O-Oh... Is that right?"

"A-Anyway! If you want to play, let's go play!"

"Ah!" Makoto gets dragged into the arcade by Ann for a few rounds of Gun About.

With the discount available today, Ann sighs of relief knowing they can save a lot more money today. As they get ready to play the game, Ann looks at Makoto, who appears to take a professional stance, almost like an actual police officer. Akira wasn't kidding, she is intent on taking Gun About as seriously as possible.

"Looks like the police officer in you is ready to play, huh Makoto?" Ann says, teasingly.

"We can talk after this game," Makoto states.

Ann blinks a few times upon the blunt statement, then nods and smiles. She's not going to fall behind, she's got her gamer integrity to protect.

The two of them team up together in a game of Gun About. While Ann makes a few noises here and there expressing her frustration at the enemies, Makoto remains silent, only speaking up to communicate with Ann about what to do. The onlookers surround them one by one as they are mesmerized by the skill that both the ladies present in the game.

When the match ends, Makoto holsters the gun onto the machine and gives off a confident smile. Ann wipes her forehead and sighs, then gazes at the monitor in front of them. It's an overwhelming victory for the team of Ann and Makoto. The people around them give a round of applause for their incredible teamwork.

"Did you see how fast they aim?"

"They're like queens of Gun About!"

"You think they'll be able to beat the King?"

The crowd murmurs to themselves about the pair. Ann looks around with her eyes widened.

"Oh wow... I didn't think so many people were watching us..." Ann says.

"They were?" Makoto turns around and spots a sizable crowd surrounding the pair. Makoto covers her mouth and her face grows red. "Oh no, I did it again..."

"Chin up, Makoto!" Ann lays her hand on Makoto's shoulder. "You were great!"

"Huh?" Makoto gazes blankly at Ann, then glances at the crowd. She sees dozens of people clapping, almost as if she was a performer. After taking some time to soak it all in, Makoto lets out a sigh and smiles. "I guess I did pretty well..."

"Hey, how about I take you to get some clothes? You know, as a reward." Ann says.

"Y-You don't have to do that! It's only a video game..."

"Come on, it's Christmas Eve! Let's buy the clothes while they're still on sale!"

"O-Okay then..."

* * * * *

Ann tugs on Makoto's hand and rushes with her to one of the boutiques in Shibuya. Thanks to her fashion expertise, she knows the best brands that'll suit Makoto well. When arriving at one, Makoto's jaw drops.

"T-This place is huge..." she says.

"Yeah! It's one of the better boutiques in all of Shibuya!" Ann replies.

"Is it... possible for a clothing store to have so many clothes to buy...?"

"You don't really go out shopping much, do you?" Ann giggles. "Let's go expand that wardrobe of yours!"

"I-If you insist..."

Ann takes Makoto on a tour around the store, presenting her different clothing styles ranging from the professional business wear to the gorgeous patterned dresses. Ann frequently picks out a few outfits for Makoto to try on for when they arrive to a changing room, although Makoto feels a tad overwhelmed by the abundance of outfits that Ann chose for her. Still, she appreciates that Ann is going the extra mile to help her keep up with the fashion trends of today.

"Oooh, you know what'll look great on you too? This outfit here!" Ann picks up a dark business suit with a dark-blue jacket and long pants that reaches all the way to Makoto's ankles. "It's got that professional feel and it's perfect for your future career as a cop too!"

"Really?" Makoto peeks from behind the pile of clothes she's carrying. "You said the same thing about all the other outfits too."

"That's where you're wrong!" Ann grins and points to the pile. "See, this one is for when you don't feel like dressing up but still want to look stylish. And this one here is for when you wanna go out for a night in town whlie craving for something messy to eat!"

"Goodness... There really is an outfit for everything, isn't there?" Makoto chuckles. "Surely you're not going to pay for all of these outfits, are you?"

"We're not really buying all of these outfits. We're picking out the outfits we want to try on, then buy the ones we wanna keep! There are so many different outfits we can wear for difference scenarios, it's almost like picking out the right costume for a movie."

"Is that right?" Makoto gives a curious look.

"Yeah!" Ann cups her chin. "There's a lot to consider when picking out clothes, and it's more than just the size. You also have to consider how well the colors match with one another, the place you're going to, what time of day it is, and that's not even including our own tastes in what looks good. I gotta tell you, trying to find even the right outfit to wear for everyday use took me hours on end to get right!"

"Ah, I see. So there's a delicate process behind even shopping for clothes. How interesting..." Makoto smiles softly.

"Oh, it's not that big of a deal," Ann laughs. "It's not as complex as working for the police or anything."

"That may be true, but you look at fashion in a far more insightful way than I can only hope to imagine. I've got a lot to learn from you." Makoto nods.

"Ahahaha..." Ann blushes. "It's nothing, really..."

Both of them share a laugh. That brief conversation about fashion makes the two of them realize that there's a lot to admire in each other. To Makoto, Ann in an invaluable partner that not only knows how to read the atmosphere, but also as an unmatched sense of beauty and allure. As for Makoto herself, Ann loves how she sees a lot of mundane activities as lessons to consider in the future, as if every day is a learning experience for her. Despite both of them having wildly different expertises, they both take it as seriously as the other.

"Hm?" Ann peeks past Makoto's shoulder and sees a blue-haired woman picking out clothes. She appears to be stuck on which outfit to choose, by what Ann's observing. "Hold on a sec, I'll be right back." Ann walks towards the woman.

"Ann? What's going on?" Makoto follows behind.

"Excuse me," Ann approaches the woman. "Are you having trouble picking out clothes?"

"Hm?" The woman takes notice of Ann. "Ah, I-I suppose so."

"Do you mind if I take a look at what you picked out?"

"Um..." The woman looks at the clothes in her hand, then gives Ann a nod. "I-If that's okay with you..."

"Great! Let's see here..." Ann took each outfit in each and and held them out one-by-one, making frequent glances at both the woman and the outfit.

Makoto watches on as she sees her girlfriend assisting a stranger. Makoto will have to get used to working with strangers, but to see Ann helping as if it were commonplace to her makes her a tad jealous that Ann is a natural at this. After examining each outfit and painting an image of what the woman would look like in each outfit, Ann hangs the outfits back on the rack.

"Actually, I have JUST the perfect outfit for you!" She turns around and sees Makoto standing by. "Oh! Perfect timing, Makoto. Do you mind if I borrow an outfit for a moment?"

"Which one?" Makoto gazes at the pile she's holding.

"Mm..." Ann traces her fingers over the pile until her fingers land on the business casual outfit she picked out earlier. "This one!" she takes the outfit and hands it over to the blue-haired woman.

The woman holds up the outfit to examine and blinks.

"This one?" she asks.

"Yup! You have his professional and androgynous feel to your looks, so an outfit like that will compliment your image overall!" Ann gives the woman an OK-sign.

"Is that right?" The woman examines the outfit more closely, then gives Ann a soft smile. "Very well, I will take your suggestion to heart. Thank you."

"My pleasure!" Ann walks behind Makoto and pats her shoulder. "Ready to try those clothes on?"

"Oh, we're doing it now?" Makoto asks.

"Yup!"

"Very well, let's try them on." Makoto smiles as she follows Ann to a changing room.

* * * * *

After trying on each outfit at least three times, Ann and Makoto buy only a select few outfits and depart from the boutique. They continue wandering about Shibuya.

"In the end, we only bought a few outfits didn't we?" Makoto asks.

"That's how it is with fashion," Ann replies. "You always have to triple-check to make sure your outfits are looking completely good!"

"We sure took a long time picking out the right outfits though..."

"Look on the bright side! At least I got to see you in so many stunning outfits!" Ann blushes.

"I-Is that right?" Makoto blushes as well. "Then... the feeling is mutual."

"Thanks!" Ann wraps her arm around Makoto. "You know, I tried getting Ryuji into fashion earlier this year, but he got so bored of it fast! Guys can never understand how hard it is to be as fashionable as us ladies, huh?"

"I didn't even understand how hard it was to be fashionable until now..."

"Man, I'm so jealous of you! You didn't even know the first thing about a shopping spree, yet your gorgeous looks are so natural! I'm jealous that you don't even have to try to look fashionable to look amazing!"

"S-Stop it, you're giving me way too much credit..." Makoto's face lights up red.

"It's true though! You're such a natural!" Ann pulls Makoto close.

"W-Well... I-If I'm a natural, then what does that make you?"

"I guess that makes me a goddess, huh?" Ann chuckles.

"A goddess..." Makoto hums to herself. "I can get behind that."

"Were you trying to flirt just now?" Ann looks at Makoto in surprise.

"It... wasn't bad, was it?"

Ann shakes her head. "Not at all. That was real sweet of you."

"Oh... thanks..."

Ann lets go of Makoto, but Makoto takes a hold of Ann's hand. They stand still and look at each other for a moment, but soon after they smile and blush.

"Say..." Makoto speaks up. "What do you want to do next? I'll go wherever you go."

"I was thinking about seeing a movie," Ann replies. "What about you?"

Makoto nods. "I'm fine with that."


	3. Akira and Ryuji's Date: Part 1/2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira and Ryuji go on a date on Christmas Eve. This is their story. Part 1 of 2.

Tons of people pour out of the bullet train that arrived at Maihama. While many are on their way out of the station as soon as possible, Ryuji stops and takes a moment to breathe in the air.

"Oh man, I thought I'd never be able to breathe normally again!" Ryuji gasps for breath.

"Oh, suck it up, Ryuji!" Morgana speaks up with his head popping out of Akira's bag. "How do you think I feel all the time riding in this suffocating bag?"

"You're different! You're a freakin' cat!"

"Sounds like someone needs to step it up if they want to keep up with Akira!" Morgana gives a sly smile.

"Can it, already!"

"Okay guys," Akira laughs nervously. "How about we get to Destinyland already before they sell out of VIP passes?"

Ryuji sighs. "Fine..."

Akira and Ryuji begin walking to Destinyland, which is not too far from the station. Ryuji, not wanting to be too cold, walks close to Akira, but is careful not to get too close to him so people wouldn't suspect what was going on. When arriving at Destinyland, the line for the VIP Passes ends up being far shorter than the regular line for admission.

Finally stepping into the amusement park, Ryuji takes a close look at the VIP Pass he and Akira bought.

"Whoa dude... We really got VIP Passes..." Ryuji says. "How the hell were we able to afford it?"

Akira adjusts his glasses and smirks. "I have my ways."

"... Why do you sound so creepy when you say that?"

"Well that's my cue," Morgana hops out of Akira's bag and stretches.

"Where are you going, Morgana?" Ryuji asks.

"I'm going to wander around the place. You two have fun on your date!"

"I told you not to say that out loud!"

"Why should you care what I say?" Morgana smirks. "No one but you two can hear me anyway!"

"Oh s-shut up! You know what I meant!"

Morgana cackles. "I'll be wandering around now. A cat has his ways of entertaining himself!" With that, Morgana sprints off into the distance.

Ryuji sighs. He turns to Akira. "Now that he's gone, you ready to hang out?"

Akira nods. "Sure, I'm ready for our date."

"Oh my God..." Ryuji slaps his own forehead as his face reddens. He knows they're going on a date, but he's far too embarrassed to admit that. Maybe if they're in private he can express himself more easily, but where there are thousands of people wandering about? He feels a tad restricted in that department. "So Akira, where do you wanna go first?" he asks.

"The roller-coasters," Akira says with a glimmer in his eyes.

"Damn, getting straight to the exciting rides! I like that!" Ryuji wraps his arm around Akira and smiles. "Which one did you want to try out first?"

Akira adjusts his glasses again. "The one where the roller-coasters goes in the water."

"Dude, are you serious!?" Ryuji blinks. "Is that ride even open in the Winter season!?"

"Only one way to find out," Akira says as he walks into the park.

"Come on, dude! You can't be serious right now! Wait up!" Ryuji runs up and walks alongside Akira. "What are you gonna do if the ride isn't even open?"

Akira turns to Ryuji and says with a straight face, "Cry, probably."

"You can't be for real right now..."

Akira pats Ryuji's shoulder, then gazes into his eyes. "I'm serious."

"Oh don't be like that..." Ryuji sighs. "You know there are other roller-coasters here, right? We can go on those instead."

"I know, I was just messing with you." Akira gives Ryuji an innocent smile.

"Of course you were..." Ryuji can't help it if Akira's smile is going to be that damn adorable. Why does he always fall for his charms like this? He really should be used to the way he jokes around by now. "All right, I think there's a roller-coaster nearby that starts off fast from the get-go. Let's check that one out."

"Okay." Akira gives a nod of approval and they both head off to the roller-coaster in question.

* * * * *

When arriving there, they're able to cut through most of the line thanks to the VIP Passes they bought. As for the ride itself, Ryuji and Akira decide to sit up front for maximum thrill. On the ride, Ryuji screams his lungs out from the rush and loops he experiences. The ride takes a photo of all the passengers when the ride reaches max velocity. At the end of the ride, Ryuji and Akira take a gander at the photo that was taken.

"Ha ha ha, look at my dumb face," Ryuji says, pointing at the monitor where they were sitting. "At least that means I was enjoying myself."

"Yeah." Akira nods.

"What about you?" Ryuji looks at Akira's part of the photo and sees he kept a straight face the whole time without even blinking or opening his mouth. "Dude, what the hell!? How did you keep a straight face?"

"Self-imposed challenge." Akira adjusts his glasses and smirks.

"Man, why do you always do this...?" Ryuji sighs. "I bet you just didn't have fun on there..."

"No, I had fun." Akira turns to Ryuji. Ryuji notices that his eyes are red and almost full of tears.

"Uh... you okay, man?"

"Perfectly fine." Akira gives Ryuji a thumbs up. He refuses to tell Ryuji that he also decided not to blink the whole time, hence the red eyes.

"Well... knowing you, you probably are fine." Ryuji shrugs. "Whatever, you up for another ride?"

"What about a Ferris Wheel?" Akira asks.

Ryuji blinks. "You... want to go on a Ferris Wheel?"

"Take a small break before we get our hearts racing again."

"You know we can take a break by waiting in the lines, right?"

Akira frowns and traces his gaze to the ground.

"Oh come on, don't give me that look! I just feel... you know... a bit awkward riding a Ferris Wheel with... uh..."

"So you don't like me anymore is what you're saying..." Akira murmurs.

"No, that's not what I meant! I... uh..." Ryuji sighs. "Okay, fine. We can go on the Ferris Wheel together..."

Akira's face light up as he stands tall. His eyes twinkle as he grabs Ryuji's hand. "It's time." he states.

"Whatever you want man..." Ryuji lets out a defeated sigh. He allows Akira to drag him all the way to the Ferris Wheel.

* * * * *

Thanks to the VIP Passes, they're able to get on the moment they arrive. Ryuji and Akira sit down in the cabin they're assigned to and sits back in the seat. The people waiting in the other line whisper among each other.

"You think they're talking about us?" Ryuji asks.

"Who cares?" Akira says, putting his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, you're right." Ryuji looks the opposite way of the line and out towards the other side of the park. Their cabin lifts off the ground and thus the wheel begins spinning. Ryuji can see a breath-taking view of the park. "Whoa... You seein' this, dude?"

Akira takes a peek without moving a muscle. "Sure looks nice, huh?"

"It's hard to tell on the roller-coasters, but this place is huge!" Ryuji stares in awe as he takes in the magnificent sight of families and couples around the active rides of the park. There's a few fountains here and there, along with perfectly perched trees creating a relaxing ambiance. The castle in the distance out-grows even the tallest coaster of the park. It makes Ryuji ponder about what the castle holds. Is it a hotel? Or are there attractions in there? He may ask Akira later about taking a visit there.

Ryuji and Akira sat in silence for a brief period, soaking in the view. For a while, neither of them said a single word, as they were more occupied watching the park as the cabin slowly rises upward.

"Say, Ryuji," Akira speaks up.

"Huh?" Ryuji turns to Akira. "What's up?"

"How come you don't openly display your affection to me?" Akira asks.

Ryuji blushes upon hearing the question. "Y-You know how it is... People don't like couples flaunting about their love in public."

"Is that the only issue?"

"Nrgh..." Ryuji grumbles. "I guess... I'm a little scared, is all. Like, I do love you, man. It's just..."

"You think others will call it weird, don't you?"

Ryuji remains silent for a moment, not making eye-contact with Akira. He then nods slowly. "Yeah... And not like the kind of weird Yusuke is. Weird like, we don't belong in society or whatever."

"It's not like we belonged in society before." Akira puts his hands down on his lap and crosses his legs. "What makes this so different?"

"I..." Ryuji wants to say something, but he ends up pounding the side of the cabin with his fist instead. "It doesn't have to be different, man! Love is love, right!? So why do I have to hide it from everyone!?"

"No one's stopping you but yourself, you know."

"You don't think I don't know that already!?" Ryuji yells. "This whole thing is so complicated! It'd be a hell of a lot easier if everyone else just accepted it! I bet Americans would tolerate it more than some shitty, judgmental Japanese guys!" He clenches his teeth and closes his eyes, lowering his head in shame. "This freakin' sucks!"

"Mm..." Akira folds his arms. "Society is pretty unfair, isn't it? Sometimes I wish we still had the power to change people's hearts." Akira looks out of the cabin. "Maybe we still do, we just haven't figured out how to get that power back yet."

Ryuji raises his head and frowns. "You really think that'll solve anything?"

"Probably not. All we can hope for is society outgrow these deeply-rooted traditions holding them back." Akira sighs.

"I can't wait that long..." Ryuji grumbles.

Akira reaches out and grabs Ryuji's hand. Ryuji gives him an inquisitive look.

"Hey, if nothing else, we still got our friends accepting us," Akira says. "Like Ann said earlier today, who cares if we love each other? It's our business, not anyone else's."

"You make it sound so easy..."

"Maybe, but it doesn't have to be difficult." Akira smiles. "Let's take it one step at a time, yeah?"

"..." Ryuji gazes into Akira's eyes for a moment. The way he smiles is almost reassuring, as if that face alone says everything's going to be okay. Will everything be okay in the end, he wonders to himself? No one knows what the future will hold, but Akira has always looked like he can conquer the world. There's nothing he can't do, and he manages to get away with a lot of things. Not even the confides of prison could hold him back from taking down a prime minister-elect of all people.

In the end, Ryuji takes a deep breath, then gives Akira a shining smile. "Yeah! We've taken on the world together since day one. Ain't nothin' gonna stop us now!"

Akira nods. "Right. We'll tear this country in half before they tear us apart!"

"Yeah!!"

Akira stands up and opens his arms out. Ryuji stares at him for a moment, then picks up on what's expected of him and stands up as well. Ryuji opens his arms, causing Akira to move in and pull him in to an embrace. The two of them hug it out and pat each other on the back, not wanting to let go for a while.

"Uh... gentlemen?"

"Huh?" Ryuji looks towards the voice and sees the operator blushing and looking away. He catches a glance at the waiting passengers, all blushing and looking away as well. "O-Oh! Right, sorry." The boys let go of each other and Ryuji laughs nervously.

"Wanna go for another ride?"

Ryuji nods. "You bet, partner!"

Some of the ladies in line cover their mouths, trying to contain their squeals.


	4. Naoto and Rise's Date: Part 1/2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naoto and Rise go on a date on Christmas Eve. This is their story. Part 1 of 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay. I've been caught with a major headache yesterday and was not able to work on it until now.

"Wow... There's a lot of posters of me around here..." Rise says as she looks around the streets of Shibuya while walking hand-in-hand with Naoto.

The two of them have not even arrived to a store yet, and already Rise spots dozens of posters of her latest album. She knows that she's popular, especially in Tokyo, but it almost feels as though she's taken over the city by storm since she went on hiatus.

"It appears you've amassed quite a following now, Rise-san," Naoto says.

"Yeah..." Rise responds. "I guess all that hard work is really starting to pay off now."

"I would argue that it's always been paying off," Naoto nods. "You simply haven't seen it from an outside perspective."

"Yeah that's probably it," Rise giggles. "Still feels a lot different compared to when I first went on hiatus."

"Indeed it does."

"Say, have you ever been on a shopping spree before?" Rise asks.

"A shopping spree?" Naoto blushes. "I... don't follow."

"You know, a day where you go out and buy as much as you want! Clothes, books, other stuff like that!"

"Um..." Naoto covers her mouth with her free hand. "I... did buy a lot of detective novels sometime last year..."

"Aaaaand?"

"And... what?" Naoto blinks.

"Anything else?"

"N-Nothing, really..."

"Come on, you can tell your girlfriend, can't you?"

"T-That's... um..." Naoto pauses for a moment. "I-I may have bought some DVD sets of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R..."

"Really? That's so cool!" Rise giggles. "I've been watching it ever since Takeba-san told me she plays Feather Pink. Maybe after this date, we can marathon it together?"

"Really?" Naoto raises her voice in excitement for a bit, then takes a quick breath. "I-I mean... I-If that's okay with you..."

"Hee hee, I'll be sure to bring some snacks and drinks!"

Naoto smiles and blushes upon hearing that. She's always found the Featherman series to be a guilty pleasure, but knowing that her loved one is willing to watch it with her makes it not so guilty. She needs to break out of that shyness some more. That's why Rise is the way she is, she thinks to herself. What a girl that's won her heart over.

"We're almost there, Naoto-kun!" Rise says, moving ahead of Naoto. "You ready for the shopping spree of the century?"

"I... suppose I am."

"Good! Because the boutique is right next to us! Come on!" Rise tugs Naoto into one of the fashion boutiques close by.

* * * * *

"Incredible..." Naoto scans the store and takes notice of its size. A three-story building with fashion of all ages, sizes, and genders. Most of the apparel are organized by gender and age, along with the appropriate brand names of each clothing labeled above each section. Naoto has never witnessed anything like this previously. This is a fashion boutique in Tokyo? If there's one thing that will bring anyone together, it's fashion.

"What do you think, Naoto-kun?" Rise turns around and faces her girlfriend. "Where should we start looking?"

"Um..." Naoto doesn't respond. She gulps a bit at the intimidating size of the boutique. It feels as though she may be lost among the clothing like a jungle.

"Okay, how about we start in the women's section?" Rise takes a hold of Naoto's hand guides her to the section containing women's clothing. They arrive at a section containing scarves, earmuffs, and various other accessories fit for the cold climate. "Since it's the winter, let's start with a few accessories for the season! Go ahead and pick out one you wanna wear!"

"O-Oh... Uh..." Naoto analyzes each scarf hung on a rack. She presses some of the scarves against her cheek to test out the texture and thickness. All of them are soft, but some of them vary in thickness. Ultimately, she picks out a sky-blue scarf and holds it up to see that its length is double her arm span. "I didn't expect this scarf to be so long..."

"Oooh, that's a famous brand you're holding!" Rise walks around Naoto, taking photographic memories of the scarf from different angles. "Did you know this one in particular was made for two people?"

"It is?" Naoto blushes. She should have known considering its intimidating size. "I-I see..."

"You wanna share that one together? We can buy individual scarves later!"

"That won't be necessary..." Naoto continues blushing. "I wouldn't want to burden you with having to share with me..."

"Aw, it'll be romantic, don't you think? That's what couples do after all." Rise giggles.

"..." Naoto knows Rise all too well. She'll be so insistent on doing something, there's no way she'll take no for an answer. Naoto nods while her face reddens. "I-If you insist..."

"Hee hee, that's the spirit, Naoto-kun!" Rise takes the scarf and folds it up over her shoulder. "I'll see if I can get a discount on everything we buy here!"

Naoto blinks. "Do you have some sort of membership to this particular store...?"

"Nope, but an idol has her ways of bargaining with a few people." Rise winks and smirks. "Think of today's shopping spree as a Risette Discount Special!"

Naoto gazes at her for a moment, but soon smiles softly. "You truly are an amazing girl, Rise-san," she says.

"You mean an amazing girlfriend!" Rise teases.

"R-Right..." Naoto's face reddens again.

"I'll be right back, let me see if I can't press a little buttons for a discount today. Why don't you go looking for clothes in the meantime?"

"All right, I'll be looking around."

"I'll try not to keep you waiting!" Rise blows a kiss as she runs off to find an employee.

Meanwhile, Naoto begins walking around the area, checking out all the various brands and outfits hanging in the area. She's surprised by all the suits with such exquisite color detail and how most of the women's outfits all have long pants. To Naoto, this was a welcome change in comparison to how she would always have to shop in the men's section for any sort of pants, as she's not exactly comfortable wearing skirts or dresses. They're far too revealing for her tastes.

"There's so many clothes to choose from..." Naoto takes the time to analyze every detail of clothing. She sees a grey suit with a white dress shirt and a blue string tied around the chest area of the shirt and picks it up. She then picks up another outfit with a long skirt that feels it could reach all the way to her ankles. She holds each outfit against her body to get a sense of what she'd look like in each of them. Would Rise be impressed by these clothes? She continues switching outfits to see which ones would match up.

She lets out a sigh as she holds up two suits. It's going to take her all day at this rate to make up her mind...

"Excuse me," a feminine voice calls out to Naoto. "Are you having trouble picking out clothes?"

"Hm?" Naoto looks up to see a blonde girl with pigtails and a short, brown-haired girl carrying clothes behind her. Are they employees of the store? They don't have name-tags. Nevertheless, it'd be rude to deny them. "Ah, I-I suppose so."

"Do you mind if I take a look at what you picked out?"

"Um..." Naoto glances at each outfit she's holding, then gives the blonde girl a nod. "I-If that's okay with you..."

"Great! Let's see here..." The girl took each outfit in each and and held them out one-by-one, making frequent glances at both the woman and the outfit.

This woman reminds Naoto of Rise in a way. The clothes this girl wears feels like something Rise would pick out for herself. It's not just the way she looks either, it's also the casual mannerisms she presents. To think she's willing to help someone she doesn't even know... There's not many people she knows outside of her circle of friends who's willing to do that. Maybe Naoto can trust this girl's intuition.

"Actually, I have JUST the perfect outfit for you!" The girl turns around to the other girl. "Oh! Perfect timing, Makoto. Do you mind if I borrow an outfit for a moment?"

"Which one?" The girl named Makoto gazes at the pile she's holding.

"Mm..." The blonde girl traces her fingers over the pile until her fingers land on what appears to be a business outfit. "This one!" she takes the outfit and hands it over to Naoto.

Naoto holds up the outfit and blinks.

"This one?" she asks. The outfit looks so similar to the other ones she picked out earlier, only it's dark-blue and it buttons up all the way to the top, albeit with only a few buttons holding the suit together. What makes this outfit stand out compared to the others, she wonders?

"Yup! You have his professional and androgynous feel to your looks, so an outfit like that will compliment your image overall!" The girl gives Naoto an OK-sign.

"Is that right?" Naoto looks at the outfit once more. Now that she looks at it carefully, the outfit is reminiscent of when she was a high-school student. This one not only feels updated, but also gives off a far more casual perception than her previous strictly business outfit. Naoto can't help but smile at the suggestion. "Very well, I will take your suggestion to heart. Thank you."

"My pleasure!" The blonde girl appears to walk away with Makoto.

Naoto takes another look at the outfit. Despite seeing it for the first time, she feels young again just looking at it. Would Rise appreciate this outfit? Naoto will find out when she sees her again.

"Hey! Naoto-kun!" Rise calls out to Naoto.

"Oh, Rise-san!" Naoto turns around and sees Rise running up to her.

"I've got good news, Naoto-kun!" Rise smiles.

"What is it?"

"I talked with some of the employees of the store, they're willing to give us a discount if we spend more than 25,000 yen here!"

"Huh?" Naoto blinks. "That's quite a lot for a discount, don't you think?"

"It's perfect for us!" Rise holds Naoto's hands, which are still grasping the suit. "I've been making tons of money since my comeback, so everything is on me!"

"E-Excuse me?" Naoto shakes her head. "I-I can't possibly allow you to spend so much money on me!"

"Why not?" Rise pouts. "I'm your girlfriend, aren't I?"

"T-That's true, but-"

"Then let me do this favor for you! Think of it as a Christmas gift, okay?" Rise smiles again.

Naoto sighs. Why does she bother trying to reason with her about this? Once she's insistent on doing something for her, there's no talking her out of it. "I-If that's all right with you."

"Of course it's all right with me! If it's for the one I love, then I'll even try to buy the whole world for you!"

"T-That definitely won't be necessary..." Naoto blushes once more. She clears her through. "In any case, I appreciate the sentiment. I must offer something in return for your troubles."

"Oh, don't worry about it! Anything to make sure you're happy!" Rise giggles.

"Is that right?" Naoto smiles. "Then it would make me happy if I could offer you something in return."

"Oh, that's clever! Hee hee." Rise snaps her fingers. "Okay, then after our little shopping spree, what do you want to do?"

"Hm..." Naoto cups her chin. Tokyo is a large area, and there's barely a place for them to spend time with one another peacefully. Is there a place anywhere they can go for that? Rise should know. "Do you know a place where we can walk around, just the two of us?"

"Naoto-kun, you romantic, you!" Rise blushes. "There's a place in Tokyo called Inokashira Park. We can ride a boat on there or even take a walk in a quiet forest. Barely anyone will be around!"

"Then let us depart there at once after we buy our clothes." Naoto smiles.

* * * * *

After buying plenty of clothing for their shopping spree, Rise and Naoto are walking through the serene forest of Inokashira Park, holding hands and sharing a scarf that's wrapped around their neck and cheeks. Naoto breathes in the fresh air of the park, taking occasional glances at the river close by.

"Now this is more akin to my tastes," Naoto says, sniffing in the air.

"I know what you mean," Rise adds while taking a whiff of the air herself. "It's so calm and beautiful..."

The sun beams through the leaves of the park, creating a shade along the path. The only noises heard are the river's flow and the chirping of birds. With the quiet settling in, they could hear each other breathing.

"We sure bought a lot of clothes today, didn't we?" Naoto asks.

"To you, this is a lot. But to me, this is just par for the course," Rise responds with a smile. "You wouldn't believe how many different outfits Inoue-san wants me to wear for a single show, and that's not even including the time it takes for my make-up artists to apply different shades for each outfit."

"Is that what you go through every day for each show?"

"Yup! An idol has to please her fans, you know?" Rise winks.

Naoto sighs in content. "You always love pleasing everyone around you. That's one thing I admire about you."

"Hey, you've got some charm to you too!" Rise's fingers twiddle with Naoto's hand. "You're smart, sexy, and mature in your own right. Anyone can fall for a girl like you, you know?"

"I-I still have a lot to learn..." Naoto blushes. "I'm not as outgoing or understanding of others as you are, Rise-san. That's a field of expertise I can only dream of mastering."

"That's something we can work on, can't we?"

"That's why you took me to Tokyo, isn't it?"

"That, and I couldn't think of a better place to spend my Christmas Eve with the girl that won my heart." Rise kisses Naoto's cheek, causing Naoto's face to light up.

"O-Oh! That's... um..." Naoto covers her face with her scarf to mask her embarrassment of the sudden kiss.

"Hee hee, you're so cute, Naoto-kun." Rise leans close to her.

The two of them continue walking through the park. Every now and again they spot a few people walking through, presumably other couples. It's not often they can go to a public place like this hand-in-hand like a couple without any disturbances. Compared to the crowded streets of Shibuya, this is a breath of fresh air.

"Rise-san?" Naoto breaks the silence.

"What is it, Naoto-kun?" Rise asks.

"Shall I take you to buy some figurines?"

"Oh? What for?"

"Well..." Naoto blushes. "You said earlier today that you've been watching Featherman, so I was hoping you and I can buy some figurines together... And to have something to remember this day."

"Aww, that's so sweet of you!" Rise blushes herself. "Okay, let's go to Akihabara! They're loaded with figurines of all kinds!"

"W-Wait, let's not rush there just yet..."

"How come?"

Naoto tightens her grip on Rise's hand. "I-I... I want to enjoy this moment a little longer."

Rise looks at Naoto, then smiles softly as her cheeks redden. "... Yeah, I'd like that."


	5. Minako and Teddie's Date: Part 1/2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minako and Teddie go on a date on Christmas Eve. This is their story. Part 1 of 2.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

Instead of walking off the train of his on volition, Teddie is carried off by the pushing of the crowd, causing him to fall over on the ground once the crowd got outside. Minako walks from behind, gazing down at Teddie and kneeling down.

"Are you okay, Teddie-kun?" she asks, reaching out a hand to him.

"I'm fiiiiine..." Teddie grabs her hand and gets pulled up. He dusts himself off while standing. "Phew, are all Tokyo trains like that?"

"Yup," Minako nods. "It's even worse around this time of year too."

Teddie peers at the crowd ahead of him. He's never seen so many people in one place before, not even during the busiest time of Junes. Tokyo is a far different beast. And Teddie? He couldn't be happier seeing so many people.

"This is great!" Teddie exclaims. "Now everyone can how in love we are!"

Minako can't help but giggle and blush at that declaration. "That's a little embarrassing," she says.

"Hm?" Teddie tilts his head. "What's so embarrassing about showing our love for one another?"

"Oh it's not that, I'm not used to having so many people around to see us," she gives him a soft smile.

"Then it's about time for everyone to see us!"

"Oh!" Minako's arm is grabbed by Teddie, who then takes her to Destinyland.

* * * * *

Upon arriving at Destinyland, Teddie lines up for the regular passes, since he sees they're the cheapest passes. While in the middle of the line, Minako taps his shoulder from out of the line.

"Hm?" Teddie turns to Minako. "What is it, Mina-chan?"

"Uh..." Minako holds up two VIP Passes. "We can go inside now."

"Are those the passes?"

"Yeah, these are VIP Passes, one for each of us," Minako hands Teddie a pass. "Now we can skip the long lines!"

"Wow...!" Teddie holds up the pass to his face. He sniffs it a little to make sure it's legitimate. "How did you get these!?"

"I bought them." Minako smiles.

"You bought these? How? They must have been beary expensive!"

"They were, but I saved up enough to buy them for us. Gotta make sure my 'prince' deserve the royal treatment!" Minako winks.

"Ohhh, Mina-chan!" Teddie leaps out of line to give her a tight embrace. "You're so amazing! I love you!" he snuggles against her face.

"Hee hee, you're so cute." Minako rubs his head. She glances at the people in line, most of them paying attention to the two. Some of them appear a little disgusted, but she doesn't care. "Say, let's get inside and enjoy ourselves, okay?"

Teddie lets go and nods. "You got it!"

Minako and Teddie walk hand-in-hand into the theme park. They see tons of families and couples walking about and lined up for the myriad of rides and attractions available to the public. Luckily, the VIP line is short, allowing them to save some time with the lines.

"So which ride do you want to go on first?" Minako asks.

"Which one?" Teddie looks around and blinks. "Why, there's so many to choose from, I don't know where to start!"

"Then how about that roller-coaster over there?" Minako points to the closest ride within their vicinity. "Are you okay with those sorts of rides?"

"Sure!" Teddie nods. "I'm roaring to go- huh?"

"Teddie-kun?"

Teddie sniffs the air. There's a savory scent permeating close by. Instead of walking to the ride, Teddie finds himself gravitating to one of the concession stands. Minako follows behind, following her boyfriend and that lovely scent that attracts her as well. Both of them arrive in front of what appears to be a takoyaki booth. The scented mixture of soy sauce, fried seafood, and various other spices and sauces enveloping the surrounding area causes Teddie to drool and Minako licking her lips.

"This smells so delicous...!" Teddie says, pressing his face onto the display case.

"Ah, welcome!" the chef at the stand greets the couple. "Interested in buying some takoyaki?"

"Yeah! I want some!"

"Great!" The chef smiles wide. "How many servings would you like?"

"Hmm..." Teddie presses his face further against the glass. He sees a cheese-topped takoyaki, takoyaki in different flavors of meat, and even some with different seafoods. "I'll taaake..."

"We'll have one of everything!" Minako speaks up, holding out a wad of cash.

"Wow, you two sure must be hungry!" The chef chortles. "Coming right up!"

* * * * *

Minako and Teddie are sitting at a bench, eating their stockpile of takoyaki. They've already devoured three servings and still have many left. The onlookers pass by in confusion and curiosity, wondering just how those two are able to each so much.

"Mm! Mina-chan!" Teddie gulps. "You gotta try this! This one tastes just like a steak!"

"Well don't mind if I do!" Minako takes a piece and gobbles the ball whole. She smacks her lips. "Amazing! This one's bursting in flavor!"

"Yeah! This really hits the spot!"

Soon enough, the pair devours their fifth serving of takoyaki. Only a few servings left. After gulping down the sixth serving of takoyaki, Teddie speaks up.

"You sure it's okay to be the one spending all the money?" he asks.

"It's fine, Teddie-kun!" Minako replies. "I want to make this date special too!"

"But that doesn't sound right at all! It's the handsome prince that should pamper the lovely princess! Not the other way around!"

"Nothing wrong with the princess making her prince happy, is there?" Minako wraps her arm around Teddie's shoulder. "Why not save your money for something else? For today, our date is all on me."

"I wanna spend money too!" Teddie frowns. "I saved up so much cash for this special day! I wouldn't wanna spend it on anyone else but you, Mina-chan!"

"You're too sweet, you know that?" Minako pecks Teddie on the cheek, causing him to blush a bit. "I appreciate the sentiment, but being with you is more than enough for me."

"Uhhhh..." Teddie is dazed by the sudden kiss on the cheek. He's not entirely sure how to respond. All he does is touch the area where he got kissed and smiles.

"I'm not stopping you from doing anything special for me, but you really shouldn't feel like you need to pay me back, okay?"

"O-Okay!"

The pair finishes up all their takoyaki. Each of them lets out a satisfied sigh as they swallow the last servings together. They feel as though they can barely move, let alone clean up the empty containers.

"I didn't expect the first thing I'd do at Destinyland was to eat takoyaki..." Minako says.

"But it was delicious, don't you think?" Teddie asks.

"Yeah, I don't regret it at all," Minako chuckles.

"So how about a ride?"

"A ride? Right after we ate?" Minako blinks. "I think we might get sick if we do that so soon..."

"Well we gotta ride something!" Teddie stands up. "As much as I wanna eat all day, I also wanna be on a bunch of rides with my girlfriend! It's the whole point of this romantic getaway, after all!"

"Mm..." Minako crosses her arms for a moment, deep in thought, then gives Teddie a nod and stands up. "All right, we can go on the more relaxing rides."

"Yay! That's more like it!" Teddie twirls around, almost toppling over from his fullness.

"Oh, careful! We don't want you to get sick before we go on the rides!"

"I'm fine!" Teddie winks and sparkles. "So is there a ride you recommend for us?"

"Hm..." Minako scans the park for some rides they can try out. She sees a Ferris Wheel and is about to recommend it, but then remembers the heights might not bode well on the stomach. That's when she notices a three-story carousel from a distance. The carousel should suffice, she thinks. "Why not the carousel over there?" she points to the ride.

"Oh!" Teddie peers over to the ride. "That looks like fun, let's go on it!"

* * * * *

Using their VIP Passes, Minako and Teddie climbs all the way to the third floor. Teddie wants to be perched up top like a king. Unfortunately, there's no horses at the top, meaning they have to make due with the cabins. This is fine for Teddie, as he wants these cabins to feel like some sort of throne for him and Minako.

"After you, my queen," Teddie says, gesturing Minako to sit down first.

"Why, thank you, my king!" she says, sitting down.

Both of them leans on each other as the carousel begins moving. After this ride, they're considering trying out the roller-coaster that they missed out on earlier. For now, nothing wrong with a bit of intimacy in such a calming ride.

"Even though this date didn't start out as I thought it would, I'm still having a lot of fun," Minako says. She faces Teddie. "That's what I like about you, you always love to take everyone on a wild ride, kind of like a circus performance."

Teddie sparkles. "I'm also charming!"

Minako giggles. "That you are."

"And I like Mina-chan a lot too!" Teddie holds her hand. "She's beautiful, smart, brave, and ever so kind to me!"

"Oh... thank you, it means a lot to hear that." Minako smiles softly.

"So what else do you like about me?"

"Hm?"

"I wanna hear more about it! What is it that made you wanna take me as your special someone?"

"Oh, that's easy." Minako caresses his cheek. "Not only are you funny, you also have a kind heart, you love making people happy, and you always manage to brighten my day whenever I talk to you."

Teddie's eyes sparkle. "Anything else?"

"Anything else?" Minako blinks.

"Yeah! Like is there anything else about me that you like?"

"Teddie-kun, what's gotten into you?" Minako smiles wryly. "I like you a lot, what else can I say about it?"

"You can talk about how smart I am! Oh, or how strong and mature I am too! I can be anything that you want me to bear in mind!" Teddie sparkles again.

"Uh..." Minako laughs nervously. "To be honest, I don't think I can call you all those things just yet..."

"Huh?" Teddie tilts his head. "Why not?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, you're definitely insightful," Minako waves her hand. "But there's still so much you have to learn, you know? There's a lot of things you have to explore before you can call yourself smart or mature."

"So... I'm not any of those things?"

"Mm..." Minako bites on her lower lip before speaking up. "You're... on your way, that much I can say."

"So I haven't grown up yet..." Teddie frowns.

Minako's a little concerned. She knows of Teddie's true nature as a shadow, that's what he confessed to her before they started to date one another. The fact that Teddie put her on the spot and ask him questions she knows he may not like the answer to feels like there's much more to Teddie than his cheery exterior. Was there something on his mind as they continued dating? If she had to tell him the truth, she expects the same thing from him.

"Hey, Teddie-kun?" she asks.

"Hm?" Teddie looks up at her.

"Is there something wrong?"

"..." Teddie continues looking into her eyes. He felt a bit of comfort, like the same eyes he felt from Yu all those years ago. If there's one person he can trust outside of the Investigation Team, it has to be her. "I... I wanted to make sure you really did like me."

"Of course I like you, Teddie-kun," she holds both his hands. "Why wouldn't I like you?"

"I dunno..." Teddie faces the ground. "All the friends I know are able to do so many great things. One friend is super smart, another friend knows how to make lots of money, another friend is also super strong, and then there's someone I know who can do all of that and more..."

"Are... you jealous of your friends?"

Teddie didn't speak for a moment, but he looks back at Minako. "Back then I didn't think about it too much. I was fine not knowing about what I can do to help anyone, all I did was make people happy. But with everyone being able to do so many things to help people, and I hardly know a thing about this world... Am I even helpful to anyone at all?"

"Teddie-kun..." Minako's grip on his hands tightens. This is what he was hiding from her all this time? If she knew that, she would have talked with him sooner about the two of them. To reassure him, she smiles wide and places both her hands on his shoulders.

"Mina-chan...?"

"Just because all you think you can do is make people happy, doesn't mean it's useless," Minako says. "A lot of the time, that's all we need. You may not have the strength, courage, or even the brains that others have, but you also have something special to you, something many others don't have: your kind heart, your optimism, and your desire to make sure others are happy. We need more people like you, that's why you won over my heart." she caresses his cheek again.

Teddie takes a hold of the hand caressing his cheek. "So I'm not useless?"

Minako shakes her head. "You're far from useless, you're needed. Needed by me."

"Mina-chan..."

Neither of them says a single word. They continue staring into each other's eyes for a moment. Without warning, Minako leans into Teddie, pressing her lips against his. This causes Teddie to blush and widen his eyes. Her lips are soft, and the taste of that takoyaki they ate together lingers on her lips. Minako withdraws and licks her lips, chuckling ever so softly.

"I love you, Teddie-kun."

Teddie blinks a few times, before smiling again. "I love you too, Mina-chan!" he exclaims.

"Now that's the cheerful Teddie I know!" Minako gives him a thumbs up.

The carousel comes to a stop. The operator asks all passengers of the ride to leave. Teddie walks down with Minako hand-in-hand, exiting with a huge grin on his face. She kissed him, she really kissed him. This date already feels complete, albeit a tad premature. But there's still so much to do; the date can't end here! Aren't kisses supposed to be reserved for when it's all over? That's what Teddie thinks, at least.

"Say, can we go on that roller-coaster we forgot to go on earlier?" Teddie asks.

"Sure we can, if you can handle it," Minako winks.

"Oh trust me, I can handle it!" Teddie pumps his fist. "If I can't handle it, I'll grin and bear it!"


End file.
